Description
The Zouave by Vincent van Gogh shows a young soldier turning his face slightly right in a study made around June 20, 1888. A red cap and blue jacket with contrasting trim give the bust-length portrait a vivid organization against a pale green ground. Reed pen, brown ink, crayon and watercolor combine over graphite, making the work a mixed-media color study rather than the oil portrait for which Van Gogh prepared.
The study belongs to his early efforts at portraiture in Arles, when he turned to a model during weather that interrupted outdoor work. That context explains its exploratory character without replacing the individual before him. Lines can establish features and costume while washes give them another kind of presence. The work remains a portrait in its own right, preserving the directness of an encounter as well as the preparation behind a later painting.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Vincent van Gogh collection.
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